Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are attractive platforms for a wide variety of applications, and by leveraging commercially available systems, users can minimize both cost and development time. One challenge with these systems is that they are battery-operated and have relatively short mission lifetimes.
Commercial tethered solutions have been developed that transfer power up a wire to the UAV. However, these solutions have several issues. One issue is the trade-off between the power required by the UAV and the tether size or weight. For UAVs that require high power for flight or for their payload, heavy wire must be used, and the weight of the tether becomes a limiting factor. Another issue arises with control of the UAV and its payload. Radio frequency (RF) communication methods can be used to control the UAV, but RF is vulnerable to detection, natural interference, and intentional jamming. Current commercial quad copters can only operate for 30-60 minutes before needing to be re-charged, while a tether can provide power for hours or days. Extra wires can be added to the tether for secure communications, but these add additional weight and complexity to the airborne system.
Using a tether that carries both the power and the communication signals from the ground station to the UAV will allow for continuous operation and secure data stream. The method and system described below provide continuous operation and a secure data stream. Additionally, by combining the power and data along a single wire, the weight of the tether can be greatly reduced.